Golf club



S.T.THORPE Aug. 14, 1923.

GOLF CLUB Filed July 14, 1922 Patented Aug. 1M1, 11923.

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SAMUEL T. THORPE, OF BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE HORTONMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF BRISTOL, CONNECTICUT, A CORPORATION OFCONNECTICUT.

GOLF

Application filed July 14,

T all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL T. Tnonrn, acitizen of the United States, residing at Bristol, in the eountyofHartford and State 6 of Connecticut, have invented certain new.

shafts. although certain features of the invention may well be utilizedin connection with clubs having solid wooden shafts.

-An object of the invention is to secure the metallic shaft in the headso that rotation of the head on said shaft is prevented by means thatwill have practically no tendency to split or otherwise damage the. clubhead.

.As the invention is especially applicable to clubs having'hollowmetallic shafts, the invention further consistsin the provision of afastening device embodying means for preventing collapse of said shaft.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in certainnovel details of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts,all as will hereinafter be more fully described and the novel featuresthereof particularly pointed outin the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings- Figure 1 is an elevational view of a golfclub illustrating the preferred embodiment of the present invention, aportion of the club head being broken away for purposes of illustration;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the club head;

- Fig. 3 isa detail sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detail view of the several fastening elements and the lowerend of the shaft all removed from the club head and se arated one fromthe other, and ig. 5 is a similar view, in perspective,

' showing the same parts assembled.

. The club used for illustrating the invention is of the type known asthe driver and has a wooden head which is provided clubs having hollowor tubular metallic CLUB.

1922. Serial No. 574,906.

with the usual striking face 11 on one of its sides. Toward its rear endthe head 10 is provided with the usual upwardly extending shank 12,known as the hosel, and extending down through the hose] and head to thebottom face of the latter is a circular aperture for the reception ofthe shaft 13 which is preferably made tubular from a sheet of suitablemetal and which extends down to the hosel and head with its lower endflush with the bottom face of said head.

At its lower end said shaft has two longitudinally extending slots 14therein preferably located diametrically opposite each other for the,reception of a key 15 whose sides projectbeyond the exterior surface ofshaft 13 into the head, which is usually and preferably slotted at ointsdiametrically opposite each other in the shaft opening to permit theeasy insertion of the key. Pref erably key 15 is made perfectly flat,especially at its side edges where it projects into the head 10 for thepurpose of presenting a plane, flat surface to the head when the latteris placed under strains tending to rotate it on the shaft. By making thekey flat, or at least flat at its projecting side edges, it does nothave any tendency to split the head whereas such would not be the caseif the key were tapered or otherwise similarly shaped instead of beingflat.

To aid in securing the key and shaft end in the club head, wedge members16 preferably of wood and substantially semi-circular in cross sectionat their larger end, are driven into the hollow shaft one-ach side ofthe key. .Such wedges not only assist in holding the key and shaft inplace but they also serve the function of supporting the hollow shaftfrom its interior, thereby preventing the collapse of the shaft.

As a 'final fastening means for securing the wedges, shaft and key inthe head, a screw 17 or other like fastening member, projects into theclub head from the rear face of the latter and extends at substantiallyright angles to the shaft 13, through the shaft, the wedges] and thekey, saidshaft and key having apertures 18, 19 therein adapted toregister with each other for' the screw to be pamd therethrough.

It will be understood that, in the finished golf club, the lower ends ofthe shaft, key

and wedges, terminate flush with the bottom face of the head and saidbottom face can be finished ofi' tlie'same as any ordinary club.

What is claimed is:

1. In a golf club, the combination with the head and shaft extendinginto said head, of a fiat key extending transversely of the shaft andprojecting beyond the side faces of said shaft into the head.

2. In a golf club, the combination with the head, of a metallic shaftextending into the head, said shaft being hollow within the head, a keyextending transversely of the hollow portion'of the shaft and projectingtransversely into the club head, and means preventing collapse of thehollow portion of the shaft.v

3. In a golf club, the combination of the head, a metallic shaft havinga hollow end portion extending into the head and there beinglongitudinally extending slits in said hollow end portion, and a keypositioned transversely of the shaft in said slits and projecting beyondthe side faces of the shaft into the hea 4. In a golf club, thecombination of the head, a metallic shaft having a hollow portionextending into the head, a key extending transversely of the hollowportion of the aeaeeo shaft and projecting into the head, means forpreventing collapse of the hollow portion of the shaft, and fasteningmeans ex,- tending into the head at an angle to the shaft and throughthe hollow portion of the shaft.

5. In a golf club, the combination of the head, a metallic shaft havin ahollow portion extending into the hea a key extending transversely ofthe hollow portion of the shaft andprojecting into the head, wedgingmembers between said key and the interior walls of the hollow portion ofthe shaft, and fastening means extending into thehead and through theshaft and engaging said wedging members.

6. In a golf club, the combination of the head, ametallic shaft having ahollow portion extending into the head, a flat key having parallel sidefaces at its end portions,

'saidkey extending transversely of the hollow portion of the shaft andits end portions projecting into the head, wedging members between saidkey and the interior walls of the hollow portion of the shaft, andfastening means extendin into the head and engaging said key an w d irig members.

.SAMUE THORPE.

